Investigation of Salmonella Enteritidis Outbreak Associated with Truffle Oil — District of Columbia, 2015

Abstract

© 2017, Department of Health and Human Services. All rights reserved. What is already known about this topic? Salmonella enterica is a common foodborne pathogen, causing an estimated 1 million cases of foodborne illness each year. Salmonella Enteriditis is the most common serotype and has frequently been associated with infections attributed to poultry and eggs. What is added by this report? During July-September 2015, a total of 159 patrons reported gastrointestinal illness after eating at a single District of Columbia restaurant. Forty-one persons (40 restaurant patrons and one employee) were infected with an indistinguishable Salmonella Enteritidis strain on the basis of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (XbaI pattern JEGX01.0008). Results from a case-control study using restaurant patron data identified a novel food vehicle, truffle oil, as the likely source of Salmonella Enteritidis infection in this outbreak. Approximately 89% of case-patients reported eating truffle oil-containing items, compared with 57% of patrons who did not report gastrointes­tinal illness (p<0.001). What are the implications for public health practice? Public health officials and consumers should be aware that truffle oil has been implicated as the likely source of a Salmonella Enteritidis outbreak and could possibly harbor this pathogen. Timely engagement of the public, health care providers, and local and federal public health officials, is particularly critical for early recognition of outbreaks involving common foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella Enteritidis.